Flexible disk harrow.



H. SHEMWELL.

rFLEXIBLE DISK HARROW.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. l9l2- RENEWED MAR. 15.1917.

1 ,241,774. Patented Oct. 2, 1917f 'UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

HAROLD sHEMwELL, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AssIGNoR, BY MEsNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To BIRMINGHAM Diso HARRoW COMPANY, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.`

FLEXIBLE DISK HARROW.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 2, 1917.

Application led March 6, 1912, Serial No. 681,928. ReneWedMarch 15, 1917. Serial No. 155,089.

` To oZZ whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, HAROLD SHEMWELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Flexible Disk Harrows, of Which the followinO' is a specification.

My invention relates tocertain novel and important improvementsv in flexible harrows which comprise a series of flexibly connected shafts or disk `bearings upon which are mounted,`f0r free rotation, series of sharpened disks adapted to have closely associated lines of travel so that they thoroughly pulverize the ground as theharrow is drawn al`ong, each disk having a separate path, and acting to cut the clods to pieces.

and Vopen up the soil. i The objects of my present invention are: lst': To couple the shafts or disk bearings in such manner that Without interfering with their free vertical play Which permlts them to follow the! irregularities of the surface of the` ground, the flexible frame as a whole is held against laterali or sidewise play which Would permit the disks to track.

This I accomplishby increasing-the Width ofthe bearings at the ends of the connectingl rods and so distributing the rods over the frame that they constitute connections which hold the frame with substantial rigidity against angular playin horizontal plane and yet leave the shafts free to rise and fall in vertical planes. t

2nd: To further improve the manner of coupling thedisk bearing shafts by the use of arched connecting rods and by connecting said rods to the sha ts so that they are preferably equi-distantly spaced from the two disks that are adjacent to each of their ends.

This arching of the connecting rods has the advantage of raising the body portions clear of the ground to avoid increasing the draft strain when the harrow is cutting deep and the shape and ,position of the rods,` relatively to the disks, gives them the novelfunction oftending to force the clods towardthe cutting disksso they Will not tend to rollthrough the harrow and escape being cut to pieces.v t i. ,i 3rd: To improve both the `action of 'the disks and their construction by forming themy .of sheet steel and riveting the steel disksbetween flanged hubs which serveto space them from each other `and from the connecting rods. The thin sharpened edges of the disks will cut the clods to pieces and enter deeply into the subsoil to open it up, while the flaring hubs turn and pulverize the surface soil.

. `4th: To provide novel means for weighting the hai-row and .furnishing a seat for the driver. The seat and Weighting means should be adapted to distribute their weight substantially uniformly over the several disk shafts and to this `end I provide loosely connected supports for the seat or the weight platform, or for a combined seat and weight platform, which supports are adapted to be mounted in such manner as to bear on each shaft and yet not tointerfere `with the flexibility of the. harrow which is essential to its successful operation. r I

5th: Toimprove the harrow by providing a means to minimize the tendency of the draft strain to raise the front row of disks from the ground thereby lessening theirlcut` ting action.

My invention furthercomprises the details of construction and arrangement `of parts which in their preferred embodiment only are hereinafter more particularly` described by lreference to the accompanying drawings, in` which Figure l represents a side elevation of my `improved harrow cultivator.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same partially broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line of Fig. 2, and showing part of the harrow in front elevation.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts lthroughout the drawings. i

According to the drawings I provide a series of five shafts 1,which are of equal length and arranged in echelonor stepped relation. These shafts or rods are connected by links 2 which are arched in side elevation and have perforated ends in which the shafts are adapted to turn freely. At the outer ends of each shaft I provide cotter keys 3 or like detachable retainingnieans and between such means, and eaclradjacent link 2 I interpose a ground cutting disk Y which is preferably formed by an 'annulus Il of flat sheet steel with its outer peripheral edge sharpened. The inner peripheral edge of the annulus is fastened by countersunk the bars 24 will slide in the clips 25 so that no positive or ri 'd connections are provided to interfere wit the flexibility ofthe harrow. The arrangement of five shafts is pre ferred as it permits the weight and seat platform to distribute its pressure uniformly on all the disks, otherwise the number of shafts may be varied.

To hold the inner sliding ends of the arch 'bars 21 against becoming disengaged from their respective supporting links 2, I make the legs of each such end long enough to extend below the link 2 that they straddle and pass a bolt or pin 28 through them (see Fig. l) disposing it so that it will not interfere with the free` movements desired between the arch bars or links.

The extended cylindrical body portions o1 the hubs serve as roller surfaces which surround the shafts and reduce the friction. They also serve as a spacing means in conjunction with the links, thereby avoiding the use of any extra spacing parts and leaving the disks free on the shaft for independent rotation.

The harrow may be readily turned or if desired may be reversed by transferring the draft connections and bracing means to the extensions 12 on the rear shaft.

`I-Iaving thus. described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A flexible disk harrow, comprising disk l bearings, straight cutting disks rotatably mounted on the bearings, and means to loosely connect the bearings to form a flexible frame work in which the bearings are adapted to rise and fall freely to follow the irregularities of the-ground, said disks boingV distributed in stepped series over said frame work to have different but closely associated lines of travel, and said means which connect said bearings having sufficient bearing engagement axially of said 'disk bearings to hold the bearings against relative lateral displacement which will substantially disarrange the predetermined spacing between the lines of travel of the disks.

2. In a flexible harrowing and cultivating implement, .a flexible frame work comprising loosely connected cross shafts, and spaced rotatablev cutting disks` mounted on .the shafts and arranged throughout the frame work to have different closely associated lines of travel, said disks having thin flat cutting peripheries adapted to cut deeply into ,the soil, in combination with a ,number of links co-nnecting different shafts .60 t

against an angular movement in a horizontal plane to disarrange the predetermined relative working positions of the disks withoutv interfering with their free vertical play.

8. In a flexible disk harrow, a flexible frame work comprising a series of trans` verse shafts, means to loosely connect said shafts in respect to vertical movements only while positively holding them against relative displacement horizontally of the harrow, and a series of cutting disks mounted for independent rotation on each shaft and havingflat sharpened annular cutting edges, and elongated cylindrical hubs forni-v ing extended bearings for the disks and adapted t0 coperate with interposed shaft connecting means to space the disks on their respective shafts, substantially as described. j

4. In a flexible disk harrow, a flexible frame work comprising a series of parallel shafts, links to loosely connect the shafts, and a series of disk cutters rotatably mounted on each shaft and having sharpened peripheral cutting edges and elongated cylindrical spacing hubs, which hubsy and links are adapted to space thecutters equi-V distantly on each shaft, and bearings at the outer ends only of said hubs on which they rotate, substantially as described.

5. In a flexible disk hai-row, a flexible frame comprising a series of disk shafts, a series of spaced disks rotatably mounted on each shaft and having sharpened cutting peripheral edges and elongated hubs, and links which loosely connect theshafts and have their ends interposed between the hubs of the adjacent disks on the shafts which they serve to connect, the hubs andlinks serving to equi-distantly space the cutting edges of the disks on the shafts.

6. In a flexible disk harrow, aseries of transverse shafts, a row of spaced disks rotatably mounted on each shaft and having hub portions which extend along `the shaft on which the disk is mounted, and links which connect said shafts flexibly together and stand in the line of draft of the harrow, each with its ends respectively spaced equidistantly from the forward adjacent disk on one side and the rear adjacent disk on the other side of said link, substantially as described.

7. A flexible disk harrow comprising a series of parallel shafts, diagonal rows of links connecting said shafts, and diagonal rows of cutting disks mounted on the shafts and interposed between the rows of links, each disk having a peripheral sharpened cutting edge and an velongated hub which on each side extends to the adjacent links which connect its respective shaft to an adjacent shaft in the series, saidlink or links, and said hubs of adjacent disks on each shaft being adapted to equi-distantly space the disks on each shaft.

8. Inr a flexible disk harrow, a series of shafts, links loosely connecting each adjacent pairof shafts, a series yof. cutting disks on each. shaft, the disks being arranged diagonal rows from front.l to rear of the harrow and having as a whole closely. associated substantially equi-distantly spaced lines of travel, the disks having spacing hub portions between which the links are received, a number of the hubs on the front and the rear shaft beingy relatively 4elongated the i width of a link.

9.1In a flexible disk harrow, a `series of. shafts arranged in echelon, a series of. equi-vr distantly spaced disks rotatably mounted on each shaft and arranged in diagonal non; overlapping rows from front to rearLlinks which loosely connect the adjacent shafts together, and hub portions on the disks which have a length such that they will cooperate vwith vthe contiguous links lin uniinechelon, the rows of links and disks being arranged alternately and equi-distantly in parallelism, substantially as described.

12.7In a flexible disk harrow, Aa flexible frame work comprisingv transverse disk bearingv shafts arranged in a series from lfront to rear ofthe liarrow, links loosely connect ing saidvshafts, and a support comprising -loosely connected parts which are mounted on the links-.connecting three or more of said shafts and are loosely connected to said links, substantially as described.

13. A flexible disk harrow comprising a series of transverse disk shafts arrangedone behind the other, links looselyV connecting said shafts, and a support, having relatively movable parts adapted to follow the relative movements of the shafts, which is mounted on and pivotally connected to saidlinks,

substantially as described.

14;. A'flexible harrow comprising a series of parallel transverse tool shafts, links loosely connecting said shafts to.- forni Ya Vflexible frame work, and a support having relatively movable parts pivotally connected to links which couple different pairs `ofv shafts.

15.` In a. flexible disk liarrow comprising a series of parallel transverse disk shafts,

links loosely connecting said shafts, a seat and weight frame 'having' transverse relatively movable members pivotally connected to sa-id links. midway betweenthe' rows of disks, substantiallyr as described.

16.` In a flexible disk liairow' comprising transverse disk shafts, transverse rowsy of links loosely connecting said shafts, a seat and weight frame-having transverse members-movable relatively from fronty 'to rear of the harrow and ypivotally connected to links o f each transverse row at points substantially 'midway between each of the transl verse disk shafts, substantiallyas described.

17. In aiiexibzle disk harrow, a series Vof transverse disk shafts, arched links loosely connecting said shafts, U-bars loosely -coinnected to thelinks, a seatand weight frame having relatively movable 'partswhichare loosely. connected tosaid bars, substantially as described. l t

1S. The.coiiibinatioi`i with. a disk harr'ow comprising a flexible: frame-work, of transverse ydisk shafts and links connecting, said sliafts, of a weight and seat platform comf. prising sections adapted toslride to or from each other from frontv to rearfof theharrow, f

and arched supports for said sections, eachv adapted to rest upon links connecting vthree adjacent shafts, each of said supports ybeing pivotally connected to one link `at one end and slidably supported by, another linkat its otherjend, substantially as described.

19. A flexible disk harrow comprising five f transverse disk,shaftslinks loosely connecting said shafts, arched supporting bars loosely connected tothe links connecting thel last three shafts,siinilar bars Iloosely connected to the links connecting the forward three shafts, anda seat and weight` platform connected to said bars, substantially as deser v 20., The combination in al flexible disk harrow comprising a series of transverse disk shafts, and a series of links loosely connecting said shafts, of a seat and weight support comprising relatively movable members which are looselyconnected to centers of links connecting the several shafts to distribute the weight ofthe seat support `uniformly over said shafts, substantially as described.

21. A flexible disk harrow comprising a l transversely disposed disk bearing shafts` links loosely connecting said shafts, the end links connected to the forward shaft having vertical extensions which project beyond the disk peripheries on that shaft and are -provided with alining eyes, a rod which passes through said eyes and has means to brace said extensions, and draft means connected to said extensions, substantially as described.

24. A disk harrow cultivator comprising a frame work consisting' of longitudinal and transverse members which are flexibly connected to permit the implement to follow the inequalities of the ground, a large number of closely associated thin cutting disks having wide bearing hubs which are mounted on the transverse members and rotate, said disks being set to turn in a plane parallel with the line of travel of the implement, each disk being positioned to have its separate cutting path distinct from the others, and the several disks being arranged in diagonal rows from front to rear so that their cutting paths follow one behind the other in close parallelism, said longitudinal members of the frame having suflicient bearing engagement with the transverse members thereof to hold the latter against shifting laterally to permit the disks to track.

25. In combination, a parallel series of disk shafts, links loosely connecting said shafts to permit them to freely follow the irregularities of the ground, in doing which the harrow expands and contracts in length, a seat and weight support having relatively movable parts to compensate for the length- Wise expansion and contraction of the harrow, and means to mount said support on a plurality of said shafts.

2G. In combination with a flexible frame comprising a sequence of transverse parallel relatively movable disk bearings, links connecting the said bearings, a seat and a flexible support for said seat which is mounted on said links and distributes its weight substantially equally over all of said bearings.

27. A flexible harrow comprising a series of bearings for disks arranged in transverse parallelism from front to rear of the harrow, means to loosely connect said bearings, an equal number of disks on each bearing, a seat, movably connected seat supports which respectively rest on the forward and rear groups of transverse bearings and which are movable to compensate for the movements of the disk bearings toward and from each other.

Q8. In a disk harrow cultivator, a series of transverse disk shafts, links having end bearings which receive said shafts and permit them to rise and fall vertically to follow the inequalities of the ground, cutting disks having wide hub bearings mounted to rotate independently on said shafts, the disk and link bearings abutting and inclosing the intermediate portion of the shafts.

29. In a disk harrow cultivator, a series of transverse disk shafts, links having end bearings which receive said shafts and permit them to rise and fall vertically to follow the inequalities of the ground, cutting disks y Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

